All That Glitters is Not Golden! (LAoPtS)
Plot The group decide to stop for lunch as they make their way to the Battle Pyramid. While May and Ash volunteer to collect water, they encounter a golden Sudowoodo. Ash is intrigued, after Pikachu strikes Sudowoodo down with Thunderbolt, and attempts to capture it. The wild golden Sudowoodo, manages to block the oncoming Poké Ball. After a few moments of resistance, it forces the Poké Ball back towards Ash, striking the young Trainer in the face. Sudowoodo promptly sprints off into the distance, leaving Ash nursing his bruise. The group wander into a nearby town looking for a restaurant after Ash and May failed to retrieve any water needed for cooking lunch. May and Ash later recount their story to Brock and Max, though they have their doubts. They soon enter a saloon-style restaurant filled with some particularly menacing patrons. May then notices a poster inside advertising the next Pokémon Contest is going to be hosted in Mulberry City. As May mentions her sighting of the Sudowoodo, almost every patron inside of the establishment surrounds her demanding to know more about the Sudowoodo sighting. Everyone begins fighting over the incident as a young man motions for the group to evade the feuding patrons. Keenan rushes Ash and the others inside his home, successfully escaping the mob of people. He draws the curtains closed before revealing a photograph featuring himself alongside the mysterious golden Sudowoodo. Keenan explains that the golden Sudowoodo is his, and its special color gives it water resistance, much to May's disappointment. Max is curious as to how Sudowoodo became gold-colored. Keenan replies that he doesn’t know, though Brock suspects that it may have polishes itself against rare metals like other Rock types like Onix. Ash offers to help Keenan locate his missing Sudowoodo, though he doesn’t appear all that thrilled to have the assistance. Meanwhile, having eavesdropped on the conversation, Team Rocket have also set their sights on the golden Sudowoodo. Team Rocket are first to arrive at the lake. Jessie believes the lake water and a resident goddess may be responsible for Sudowoodo’s golden hue. She volunteers to offer Mime Jr. as tribute, though James yells at her for that. Instead, they disguise Meowth as a Sudowoodo and prepare to kick him into the lake as an offering. However, the real golden Sudowoodo bursts from the water. Meowth returns the favor, dressing Jessie in a diving suit with an attached rocket booster pack and net in hand. Jessie is unprepared as she is propelled forward, though she manages to net the golden Sudowoodo. The group and Keenan soon arrive, with Pikachu threatening Team Rocket with his sparking cheeks. James and Meowth instantly flee, fearing another blast off. Jessie, however, stands her ground. So Keenan tries to recall Sudowoodo back to its Poké Ball. The Sudowoodo dodges the red beam, and Jessie is struck instead. She soon flees like her teammates. Ash notices that Sudowoodo doesn't seem happy to see Keenan, though he insists that it is his Pokémon. Brock calls upon Bonsly to converse with Sudowoodo. However, Sudowoodo flat out refuses to return and dashes off into the distance. Keenan begins running after Sudowoodo, but the pursuit ends after he trips over. After Keenan recovers from the fall, he manages to let slip how Sudowoodo actually managed to turn "golden". In an attempt to strengthen Sudowoodo, he performed an experiment on it, and this resulted in Sudowoodo's unusual golden color. However, Sudowoodo was less than impressed and abandoned Keenan. Ash and his friends offer their assistance, hoping to bring Sudowoodo back to Keenan's for a reversal experiment. Meanwhile, Team Rocket have actively been tracking Sudowoodo down in their balloon. Meowth takes aim before firing several nets at Sudowoodo, driving the golden Pokémon to flee into the nearby town and saloon from earlier. The patrons look surprised doubting what they have seen. Sudowoodo begins moving backwards and rushes outside followed by the group of men. Keenan waves and motions Sudowoodo towards his location but Sudowoodo just ignores Keenan's call and heads down another street. Seeing the competition, Team Rocket takes evasive action, activating their Potted Bonsai Boy Mark 1. Sudowoodo narrowly dodges the mecha's grasp, though a water tower is consequently knocked over. Pikachu attempts a Thunderbolt, but the mecha is electric-proof. The mecha rushes forward with another attack, though Keenan intervenes with a shovel in hand. The mecha knocks him aside and preares to snatch Sudowoodo. Keenan, however, remains determined and grasps onto the mecha's legs attempting to halt its approach. Sudowoodo becomes inspired by Keenan's heroic efforts and strikes forward knocking the mecha backwards. Sudowoodo rotates forward with a final strike of Brick Break destroying the mecha. Pikachu then follows with a Thunderbolt, blasting Team Rocket off. Keenan apologizes to Sudowoodo, hugging it as he promised to revert its golden state. Keenan and others are confronted by the keen group of men once again, though manage to reach the safety of Keenan's home. Sudowoodo is placed inside of the strange machine once more and the effect is reversed returning Sudowoodo to its non-golden color. Afterwards, the group and Keenan along with Sudowoodo stroll past the prospective men with ease. Keenan is relieved that he and Sudowoodo are a team once again. He wishes May all the best with the Mulberry Contest before waving the group off. Major events * Ash tries to catch a Sudowoodo, but fails due to it already having a Trainer. * May learns that a Pokémon Contest will be held in Mulberry City.